Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical – The Other Palace

Picture: Pamela Raith Photography

Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical continues at The Other Palace Theatre, London until 14 April 2024.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The great Stephen Sondheim often talked about how the goal of a writer should be to disappear. He was capable of immensely clever writing, but an author showing off in a way that did not service the story would work to its detriment. I have no doubt that the creators of Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical, Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble (the latter also the writer and director of the ’90s hit film) worked hard and the script required much fine-tuning to get it to this point, but the result of their labour is a show that feels truly effortless, as if these hit songs were always meant to be paired with this story, as if they threw a VHS of the original film and a ’90s volume of Now That’s What I Call Music at a wall and somehow it made art. This is perfect jukebox musical nostalgia-entertainment.

Not only does the whole enterprise feel spiritually correct, but it is hilarious, structured and paced perfectly, and – if the audience at opening night is anything to go by – inducive of pure joy and yelps of delight throughout its 115-minute plus interval run time (and there were plenty of yelps of delight as the delighted patrons were leaving the theatre too). Director Jonathan O’Boyle clearly understands the material perfectly, and the resultant product is theatrical ecstasy. It is also stupid. Just plain silly. Plotlines taken at face value are horrific and their horrors are played for laughs. Acts of awful sexual abuse are interrupted by cheesy pop songs. This is camp and it is delightful.

Of course, this show will not be as enjoyable for those who do not wish to see lighthearted depictions of sexual exploitation, discrimination, etc on stage – especially played out by characters who are still at school – so do read the content advisory warnings on the website before booking. The obvious points of comparison for this show will be recent mega-hits & Juliet and Heathers. For all the cheesy pop fun of the former, there are some dark, dark themes like the latter, and these are not handled in good taste at all – though some minor changes have been made to the movie’s dialogue to make some moments slightly more palatable.

The excellent cast goes a long way to making you forgive about the darkness in the plot. They are absolutely committed to the silliness of what they are doing. There is even genuine emotional depth in some performances, leaving you feel nourished, not just entertained. Daniel Bravo and Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky are impeccably evil and iconic as Sebastian and Kathryn. They are given a lot of Big Songs with Big Notes but both bring the house down every time. Abbie Budden brings heart and humanity to the conflicted Christian student Annette, while Rose Galbraith makes a stunningly confident professional debut as the initially innocent Cecile.

In a night of uproarious laughter, it is hard to pin down exactly which moments the audience responded to loudest, but Josh Barnett and Barney Wilkinson’s duets as Blaine and Greg might well claim that prize. Both performers are hilarious throughout, even when backing up the other performers. Nickcolia King-N’Da is a charismatic and brilliantly funny Ronald, while Jess Buckby’s take on TLC’s most enduring hit as Bunny could be the single moment that most sticks in your head after the show is done.

I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises (shocks?) of which songs pop up at which moments but rest assured: this playlist is immaculate. I spent my ’90s childhood listening to my parents’ Bob Dylan albums and avoiding the charts like the plague, but even I recognised and loved the hits as presented here. Christina Aguilera, NSYNC, No Doubt, Spice Girls, R.E.M., they’re all present – plus, of course, those classic Placebo and Verve tunes that made the original movie’s soundtrack so perfect. Denise Crowley’s four-piece band is outstanding throughout, giving a hint of musical theatre polish to some tracks, and otherwise faithfully re-creating the arrangements that have been stuck in our heads for three decades and will never leave.

Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical has been in the works for a long time now. I was lucky enough to see it at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and I am delighted that the infectiously silly and darkly joyous energy of that production has translated perfectly to The Other Palace stage. This show deserves the big-house West End success seen by & Juliet and Heathers, and will no doubt be entertaining those in need of a ’90s nostalgia kick for years to come. It is better than a time machine; better than a return to the economic prosperity of those years; better even than most ‘real’ musicals. Leave your good taste at home and enjoy this pure delight.

Ian Bowkett